Undoubtedly, the fall of DOMA’s Section 3 has brought much-needed relief among members of the LGBT community. While there is much more left to do in terms of winning rights for all members of the LGBT community, over 36,000 bi-national same-sex couples can finally live together without worrying about imminent family separation due to archaic U.S. immigration policies. With same-sex couples now scoring green cards throughout the country, and non-immigrants gaining the ability to finally bring their partners to the U.S., this is one giant step forward for immigrant rights.

Driver’s licenses for undocumented residents is a public safety issue because immigrants have to pass the road test before they can get licensed, and they are also more likely to purchase auto-insurance.

3. Instate-Tuition for Undocumented Students

New Jersey, Colorado, Minnesota, and Oregon passed laws that permit in-state tuition for undocumented students. Massachusetts, Florida, and the Ohio Board of Regents also approved a tuition-waiver for DACA-eligible students. These states joined California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington state, who have similar laws on the books.

In Rodriguez v. Robbins, the Ninth Circuit held that the government must provide automatic bond hearings to immigrants detained six months or longer. Before this case, non-U.S. citizens facing removal from the country would languish in detention for months, even years, until the adjudication of their cases. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, this ruling should benefit thousands of immigration detainees across the Ninth Circuit, which includes states such as California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Arizona. Here is more information on how to request a Rodriguez bond hearing.

8. Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

After a long wait, Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), with several new protections that are of relevance to immigrants. Most notably, Congress added “stalking” to the list of crimes covered by the U-visa, available for victims of crime in the U.S. The reauthorization of VAWA also allows the surviving minor children of a VAWA self-petitioner to retain the ability to qualify for lawful permanent residence in the event that the qualifying relative passes away after the filing of the application.

9. Federal Court Delivers Blow to Alabama Anti-Immigrant Law

A legal settlement proved to be a death-knell for one of the worst immigration laws in the country. Alabama’s anti-immigrant law, HB 56, followed the same fate as anti-immigrant laws passed by states like Arizona, Georgia and South Carolina, when the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down many of its most invidious provisions, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied hearing an appeal from the state. Under the settlement agreement, Alabama can no longer detain persons solely for their immigration status.

10. Bring Them Home – The DREAM 9 and DREAM 30

In a bold act of civil disobedience, three undocumented youth leaders self-deported to Mexico, in order to bring back their previously deported counterparts. All nine were paroled into the United States, but spent weeks at El Paso Detention Center where they uncovered various different cases of abuse against immigrant detainees. Similarly, the DREAM 30 were another group of formerly undocumented immigrants who came back to the United States. While some were deported as part of a cynical political ploy, most were paroled into the U.S. and allowed to stay here to pursue their asylum claims. Their bold actions reunited families, expanded the definition of a “Dreamer” beyond U.S. borders, placed pressure on the Obama Administration to stop deportations, and highlighted the prolonged detention of asylum seekers who had already established “credible fear” of returning to their countries of origin.

We look forward to some more inspiring victories for immigrants and racial justice in 2014.

About Race Files

Race Files exists to take complex constructs about race and make them understandable. We use analogy, pop culture and personal narrative to create a language for the daily experience of dealing with racism that helps us to name our daily experiences of race and racism, and invites cross-racial solidarity.

We invite those working to promote racial justice to share or excerpt what we share here to advance dialog about race and racism, especially as it involves Asians, Asian Americans living in the U.S., and to join the dialogue about race on this site. Read more.